by Thinus Ferreira
You'll want to phone a friend: South Africa is getting a 5th season of the game show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? that is being revived for at least one Afrikaans season on kykNET (DStv 144) although anyone can enter since contestants can simply point to the right one out of four possible answers in the multiple-choice quiz to try and win R1 million.
After 17 years, M-Net is warming up the once-hot international game show format now licensed by Sony Pictures Television, with Red Pepper Pictures that is taking over from Rapid Blue to produced an Afrikaans version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, entitled Wie Word 'n Miljoenêr? for kykNET.
The South African version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? ran for four seasons between 1999 and 2005, first on M-Net and later jumping to SABC3, with Jeremy Maggs as the quiz host in the spotlight-and-dramatic-music filled studio.
A possible Afrikaans version that was eventually planned and then scuppered is now finally going into production, similar to the single Afrikaans season of Idols that kykNET did in 2006.
With brick-heavy cellphones and the Netscape-browser internet still in their infancy, potential Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? contestants had to use a Telkom landline (know what That is 2021-contestant?) to dial a number and answer enough questions correctly using tone-dialing push buttons to enter.
Cue 2021 and people who want to enter Wie Word 'n Miljoenêr? can do so on kykNET's website, with a second round of multiple choice test auditions that will be done over Zoom.
Wie Word 'n Miljoenêr? contestants will have to be in or willing to travel to Cape Town where Red Pepper Pictures will film the season. Potential contestants who must have a good general knowledge, must be a South African citizen, older than 18, and must be available for the recording of episodes during September and October.
It's not yet known who will be the Afrikaans Wie Word 'n Miljoenêr? game show host but the Covid-19 pandemic and the country's adapted coronavirus safety protocols during filming of TV shows is bringing a potential new twist to the new South African season: The likely lack of an in-studio audience.
While Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? used to offer a contestant 4 different so-called "lifelines" during the course of their attempt to win R1 million by answering 15 questions correctly. Red Pepper Pictures and kykNET are definitely reducing the lifelines to just three - a strong indication that the "Ask the Audience" option is very likely falling away.
While "50/50" (removing two incorrect answers), and "Phone a Friend" (making a call to a pre-selected friend to ask if they know the right answer) will definitely remain, "Ask the Audience" (an audience poll) might very likely get swopped out in Wie Word 'n Miljoenêr? - as has happened with several other versions of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? worldwide that went audience-less because of Covid-19.
"Ask the Audience" in Wie Word 'n Miljoenêr? could be replaced by "Ask the Host", Switch the Question (a replacement question), or "Three Wise Men" (asking in-studio experts for their answer).
Entries for Wie Word 'n Miljoenêr? are open until 6 August.
